The present invention relates to a battery locking apparatus for portable personal computer (PC) such as note-type PC and a battery housing adapted to the battery locking apparatus.
Conventionally, such as portable PC includes a PC main body, a key board incorporated therein, and a monitor such as liquid crystal display (LCD) integrally mounted on the PC main body. The portable PC typically needs an external power source or a battery insertable into the PC main body.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a conventional battery locking apparatus adapted to the note-type portable PC. The locking apparatus is provided at a portion of side walls 1 defining a battery receiving cavity 2 of the PC main body. The locking apparatus includes a housing 3, a locking member 4, which is movable in the housing 3, having a stud 5 at the front end thereof, a rod 6 for guiding the movement of the locking member 4, and a compression spring 7 provided around the rod 6 to act against the backward movement of the locking member 4, thereby causing the locking member 4 to be urged forward so that the stud 5 projects into the cavity 2. A conventional battery 8 for portable PC has a recess 9 corresponding to the stud 5. As the battery 8 is pushed into the receiving cavity 2, the projected stud 5 is pressed by the battery surface to move the locking member 4 backward against the force of the spring 7. When the recess 9 of the battery 8 comes to face the stud 5, the stud 5 is inserted into the recess 9 to hold the battery 8 in the cavity 2 of the PC main body. To release the battery 8 from the cavity 2, the user moves backward the locking member 4 with a protruded portion 10 so that the stud 5 comes out the recess 9. Then, the battery 8 is released from the cavity 2 of the PC main body.
However, such conventional locking apparatus occupies an available space for a printed-circuit-board in the portable PC, which is an obstacle to compaction of the portable PC.